Aztec Newcomers: JJ O’Brien

JJ O’Brien is a 6’7” guard who transferred to SDSU from Utah University.

JJ O’Brien is a 6’7” guard who transferred to SDSU from Utah University. Originally from Rancho Cucamonga, O’Brien used his redshirt season last year after playing the 2010-2011 at Utah, averaging 27.7 minutes. He started 21 games for the Utes and steadily posted better numbers as the season progressed. O’Brien was named to CBS top 25 impact transfers and should see good playing time immediately. He has been practicing with the team for a full season.

Roderick Rowan, a red shirt walk-on sitting out due to NCAA rules, had this to say about O’Brien: “He is extremely versatile. He can play pretty much any position on the floor. Because of his size he can grab rebounds and go coast to coast. On the court he is hard to guard because he is bigger than most guards and at the same time too quick and handles the ball too well to be guarded by the bigs.”

O’Brien has already played a season in the Mountain West Conference so he is familiar with the competition. The Aztec’s have a talented front court returning from last season, so cracking into the starting lineup may be difficult for him. SDSU returns key contributing guards Xavier Thames, Chase Tapley, James Rahon, and Jamaal Franklin.